World Organization of Writers invites authors to join dialogue to understand the role of a modern writer, especially a children’s writer
By: Margarita Al
President of the World Organization of Writers “WOW”
This is an invitation to dialogue: a new vector of children’s literature in a changing world. We are at a point where children’s literature is confronted with global cultural and technological shifts. However, the fundamental role of the book – education and personality formation – remains unchanged.
Regardless of the format or interface used to transmit the text, the main thing remains in the content itself. It is the word, which is the basis of any book that shapes future generations. And the key task is to preserve this power of the word in the conditions of a rapidly developing world.
The first World Forum of Children’s Literature is an international platform created for a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing modern children’s literature. We bring together writers, artists, publishers, teachers and psychologists to discuss together how literature can remain a key tool for the education and development of children in a rapidly changing world.
Without dividing the world into “old” and “new”, “traditional” and “digital”, it is important to find harmony between heritage and innovation, to create balance and synergy, where tradition and innovation coexist in a single space. In this space, each format – from the classic book to modern digital forms – finds its place, preserving the power of the word and influence on the formation and development of future generations.
The central place at the forum will be occupied by a children’s writer. No matter what format the book exists in – be it a classic printed version or a digital embodiment – the key word remains the author’s word. The writer has always been and remains a conductor of meanings, cultural codes and values, and the children’s writer – especially, because it is his / her word that shapes the perception of the world by the future generation.
Whatever the interface – screen or paper – it is only a means for conveying this deep mission. The children’s writer at our forum will become the very assembly point around which the discussion will be built. We will talk about the main thing – about the content, about what exactly the book carries, regardless of the form of its presentation.
The forum will be part of Antalya International Book Fair (October 25-Nov 3, 2024), bringing together writers, publishers, artists and experts from various fields on one platform. This is a place for exchanging ideas, discovering new formats and finding ways for the word of a modern writer to maintain and strengthen its influence in the new world. Next year, we will invite even more authors and publishers from different countries to expand this dialogue, covering not only fiction, but also educational literature.
Technologies have already become part of our everyday life, and it is important not to fight this fact, but to recognize it and learn to use it in raising children. E-books, interactive media, audio formats – all this expands the horizons of access to literature. But all this is secondary compared to what is really important: what is the content, what does it carry. After all, the task of a children’s writer is to shape the inner world of a child, regardless of the form of presentation.
The international nature of the forum emphasizes the importance of global cooperation. In a world where borders are increasingly erased, literature remains a universal language, understandable to children in all corners of the world. We create a space for dialogue, where writers from different cultures can exchange experiences and together shape the future of children’s literature.
We will discuss not to choose between traditional and digital book forms, but how these formats can coexist and complement each other. A printed book develops concentration and tactile sensations, while the digital environment opens up new opportunities for learning and creativity. Our forum is a place where these approaches meet to create new opportunities for literature, which continues to carry the power of words.
We invite authors to join this discussion. Today, more than ever, it is important to understand the role of a modern writer, especially a children’s writer, and the mission he or she carries out in shaping the future. Literature remains a powerful tool for education, and WOW forum will become a place where new meanings are created for this great cause.
Read: The World Organization of Writers (WOW) – From Baku to Abuja across Cairo and Moscow
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